Driving and steering gear.



F. B. HEITMAN.

DRIVING AND STEERING GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNI: 2s, 1910.

1,056,672, Patented Mar. 18191f-1.

(if j/ ff-47%@ Witnesses Inventor AttorneysY vicinity of the FRANK B. HEITMAN,

OF HUNTINGBURG. INDIANA.

DRIVING AND STEERING GEAR.

To at( r11/10m il may concern.'

Be itV knownthat I. FRANK B. HEITMAN. a citizen of the United States. residing at lluntingburg. in the county of Dubois and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Driving; and Steering1 Gear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to driving,r and steering gears especially adapted to be used on automobiles and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts hereinafter shown, described claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined driving and steering gear which may be applied to either the front or rear axle of an automobile frame and which is of simple and durable structure, the parts beiner so arranged that the power is transmitted in a direct and advantageous manner from the driving axle to the driving' wheel.

1n the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the combined driving' and steering gear. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the driving and steering gear. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

The combined driving' and steering gear includes an axle 1 havingr yokes 2 formed at its ends. Bearings 3 are provided atI the underside of the intermediate portion of the axle 1 and a shaft 4 is journaled in the bearing.,T 3 and in bearings 5 provided in the i voltes Q. Beveled pinions 6 are fixed to the end portions of the shaft 4 and are located between the branches ofthe yoke Q.

Stub axles 'i' are provided atthcir inner ends with yokes 8, the branches of which receive between them the branches of the ,vokes 2. A pivot bolt 9 passes transversely throughy the upper and lower branches of the volt-es 2 and S and the said pivotv bolt 9 is fixed with relation to the yoke 8. A tbiinble 10 surrounds the lower portion of each boltI 9 and is located within the lower branch of the yoke 2. At its lower end the Isaid thimble rests upon a ball bearing.T 11

provided in the lower branch of the yoke 8,

and a hub 12 is journaled upon the intermediate portion of the bolt 9 above the upper end of the thimble 10. A ball bearing: 13 is interposed between the. lower end ot' the hub 12 and the upper end of the thimble 10. A thimble 14 is adjustably mounted Specification of Letters Patent. Application filled June'as, 1910.

and

at the other atented Mar. 1 8- 1 913. Serial No. 568.569.

upon the intermediate portion of the boltv 9 above the upper end ofthe hub 12 and a ball bearing 15 is interposed between the lower end of the thilmble 1l and the upper end of the hub 12. A thimble 'It is adjustablv mounted upon the upper portion of the piii 9 and at its upper end bears against a ball bearing 17 provided in the upper branch ofthe votre 8. A beveled pinion 18 is fixed or made a part of the hub 1Q and meshes with the lower portion of the beveled pinion 6.

AA stub shaftI 19 is journaled for rotation in the stub axle 7 and is provided at its inner ends with a beveled pinion Q0 which` at its lower portion meshes with the outer portion of the beveled pinion 18 hereinbefore described. Anti-friction bearings 21 are provided between the stub shaft 19 and stub axle 7 whereby the said stub shaft may freely rotate within the said axle. The outer end portion of the stub shaft 19 is tapered and squared ,in transverse section as at 22.

A wheel hub Q3 is journaled upon each of the stub axles 7 and anti-friction bearings 24 are interposed between the said stub axles and the said wheel hubs. Outwardly projecting lugs 25 are mounted upon the wheel hubs 23 and a cap 26 fits snugly over the outer end of each wheel hub and is provided atits inner end with recesses 27 which receive the said .lugs 25 whereby the said wheel hub is const-rained to rotate in unison with the said cap. The cap 26 is provided at its center with a boss having-a non-circular openingr therein adapted to snugly receive t-he squared and tapered extremity lof the stub shaft 19. A sety screw 29 passes through the outer end portion of the boss 28 and engages the outer end of`the stub shaft. 19 and is adapted to hold the cap in close contact with` the outer end of the said stub shaft. A sand band 30 is located upon the outer side of the intermediate port-ion of the yoke 8 and is adapted to receive. the inner end port-ion of the wheel hub 23. An arm 31 is tixed to the lower branch of the yoke 8 and is disposed at a right. angle t-o the vertical plane of the said yoke extending through the axis of the sti-ub shaft 19. The arm 31 atI one end of the axle 1 is operatively connected with the arm 31 end thereof by means of a rod 32 which is pivotally connected atits ends with the said arms 31 at the opposite ends moved from the stub axle 7. It will also bel ot th(` axle 1. Any suitable means may be provided 'for swingingone or the other of the arms 31. 'A

A easing feonsist-ing of upper and lower 'halves or castings incloses each knuckle joint ot which the. yokes 2 and 8 and pivot pin 9 and adjacent members form component parts. Each casing is provided with `an elongated horizontally disposed opening 3% through which the stub axle T projects and earl; stub axle is provided with a series of wings or shieldsI 35 which are. adapted to move along the opening 34 as the axle. T is moved along the said opening and keeps the opening closed to prevent the admission ot' dust, grit, ett'. Each easing is also provided with a horizontally disposed elongated opening 3G and the arm 31 passes through said openii'ig. The arm 31 is also provided with wings or .tenders 237 whit-h are adapted t0 move along the said opening 256 as the arm moves along the same and prevents thev admission of dust, grit, etc.

ing and steeringfgear, the upper sect-ion or halt' of the easing 83 may be removed when the parts within the yokes 2 and 8 will he exposed to `view'. Also it will be seen that by removing the screw 29 that the cap 2o may be slipped ott' of the end ot' the hub 23 and 'thus the said hub may be readily reseen that as one of the arms 31 is turned in either direction 'horizontally the other arm 31 is turned correspondingly through the connecting rod 32 and that as the said arm 31 is turned in the manner as indicated, the

turned so that the. stub axles 7 are turned and the device is steered. As the parts wear the sleeve 11 may be shittedalong the pivot bolt 9 in order that the hub 12 may be properly positioned against' the' anti-friction bearings 13 and the beveled pinion 18 is held iny proper mesh with the beveled pinions 6 and 20.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the shaft 4 but as such means are common expedients it is thought unnecessary to include the same in the present showing. Again it Will be observed that the arms 31 are connected directly with t-he yokes 8 From this ar-v rangement 'it' will beseen that when 1t is desired to have accessl tothe parts of the dr1v.

,yoke 8 together with the pivot bolt 9 will be' and thus as the said arms are swung in the manner as indicated and the yokes are turned the pivot bolts Sl are turned through the instrumentality of the yokes and the. yokes are not turned by means of first turning the said pivot pins as is a common practice at present. Thus the said pivot bolts are relieved of unnecessary strain and wear incident thereto is materially reduced. 1 `urthermore this'leaves the entire intermediate portion ot the pivot bolt. unobstructed and a much longer hub 12 for the support of a beveled pinion 1R may be. positioned thereon and still rooln is provided tor the proper adjustment of the parts. Therefore while a compat-t assemblage is ett'eeted the parts are not necessarily small in dimensions or excessively small in some din'iensions and exceedingly large in others. 'lhe parts may be well proportiomd with an object of producing the desired results to the best advantage.

Having described the invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A. combined driving and steering gear comprising an axle. a yoke thereon. thimbles within the terminal portions ot the yoke, a stub shaft` a stub axle, said shaft being Iiournaled within the axle, a yoke extending from the stub axle and embracing the first named yoke. a pivot bolt extending through the terminal portions ot the two yokes, said thimbles heilig adjustable on the pivot bolt, the bolt being revolublc with t-he yoke of the stub axle., a. hub mounted for rotation upon the pivot bolt and bearing against and adjustable by one of the thimbles, a shaft journaled Within the first named yoke, gears secured to the respective shafts, said gears being oppositely disposed and the hub being extended between them, and a gear upon the hub and meshing with said shaft gears, said hub adjusting thimble constituting means for holding the gears in mesh.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. H EI'IMAN.

Vitnesses t J. H. HErrMAN, Jr., W. C. Bmrrz. 

